Wild 1 - 2 Predators
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Preds hand Wild 8th straight loss

Dec 29, 2011 - 5:44 AM Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Mired in a losing streak, the Minnesota Wild couldn't get out of their own way to steal a win.

Indeed, it's hard to imagine an easier shootout than the one Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne faced on Wednesday night after giving up the game-tying goal late in the third period.

Jordin Tootoo had a third period goal and Colin Wilson was the only skater to score in a shootout, leading the Predators to a 2-1 win over the Wild.

Rinne had 31 saves in regulation and four more in overtime, but only needed to make one stop in the shootout after two Wild skaters lost the puck on their attempts.

The first skater, Matt Cullen, made it about two-thirds of the way to the net before letting the puck drift off his stick and to the left boards.

Then, after Rinne stoned Mikko Koivu, Minnesota's final skater, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, was too close to the goaltender when he tried a spin move and couldn't get a proper shot off.

Wilson scored the only shootout goal on a deke to his backhand and the Predators moved to 2-3-0 since a five-game winning streak, capturing their first game since announcing Tuesday that Shea Weber is out indefinitely with a concussion.

"They all played really hard. It was a really grinding-type of game and we battled," said Predators coach Barry Trotz.

Dany Heatley netted the game-tying goal with 3:59 remaining in regulation and Josh Harding had 24 saves for the Wild, who have lost eight in a row (0-5-3) since a seven-game winning streak.

The goaltenders combined to make 37 saves in two scoreless periods. Tootoo broke the deadlock at the 7:00 mark of the third when he got a piece of Jonathon Blum's snap shot from high on the right side.

The goal was originally credited to Blum, but changed later to Tootoo's sixth of the season.

Rinne tried his best to keep the Wild out of the net in the face of heavy pressure, sprawling on the ice to keep the puck out. His left skate was pinned against the post, but Heatley still squeezed the puck in on a wraparound to tie the game.

Game Notes

The Wild have just six goals in their last six games. Their slump has allowed Vancouver to take over first place in the Northwest Division...Nashville was 0-for-3 on the power play while Minnesota went 0-for-2.






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